Imagine for a moment that you’re a 16 year-old boy named Zack Johnson. Now imagine that you wake up one morning, only to find that your “guy parts” have been replaced by “girl parts.” Believe it or not, this is actually a stealth viral campaign for P&G’s Tampax tampons. The campaign is anchored around a video-rich blog and even a twitter account. Despite the marketers not knowing at this point how the campaign will end, they do say they’re pleased with young Mr. Johnson’s sudden popularity.

That’s Gotta Hurt

In a textbook example of a well-executed attack ad, in “True Stories,” Best Buy calls out Walmart by name for its lackluster customer service. In the spot, an actual customer service rep recalls talking to a frustrated customer who called her from a Walmart because the associate there couldn’t answer his question about a TV. Granted, Walmart is attempting to bridge the void left by Circuit City’s closing by offering more upscale electronics at Walmart price points, kudos to Best Buy for differentiating itself in a way that is meaningful to consumers. Watch the spot here.

Whose Way is it Now?
Don’t get me wrong – I love Wendy’s and have for a long time. But what I do not love is their advertising. Maybe it’s because they went through their Golden Age of creativity with their “Where’s the Beef?” campaign in the 80’s and then hung their collective hat on the head of beloved founder Dave Thomas in the 90’s with “Dave’s Way.” However, the chain’s current approach to advertising has me confounded.

This spot bothers me in so many ways from a creative and marketing standpoint, and is truly indicative of the organization’s problems – inconsistent product quality, skyrocketing prices, and schitzophrenic advertising. I really feel that it’s time for Wendy’s to take a simpler approach and go back to the basics of value and quality.

Cannes, Schmannes
I know the advertising world is getting excited for Cannes and there are predictions flying that CP+B will take home a ton of Lions, I can’t help but yawn. Read why here.